I looked up comparative images side by side on google. I don’t think there is any way you can tell the difference between carp and shad while they are immature and in the water. The only distinguishing features are the lower lip and the anal fin. They picture them side by side and are almost identical..I was at Fenton acces close to Kenlake. I’ll get down there this week and take my throw net and take some pics. I hope I’m , wrong but the growth rate is swinging me more towards carp than shad.
That's why the fish and wildlife don't want people netting shad from any lake and moving them cause they look so much a like.
FB_IMG_1531128830096.jpg
Kentucky fish and wildlife had this on their Facebook page. Hope it helps. I'm afraid if there is that many showing up that quickly they are probably carp.
Wow, I didn't realize they were so similar, those I saw weren't 3-4" but I can't say for sure they were shad based on those pics.
Little River is covered up with them, I’ve never believed they were shad their is just way too many of them, good news is other fish were eating them but with the fast growth rate I don’t think they can eat enough, I don’t think we’ve seen the peak of this yet...
Anyone own a cast net to confirm what species these schools are for shure?
Y'all aren't kidding about how many there are. The ones I saw were about 1.5" long and looked like shad to my untrained eye. I tried to snag a few but was unsuccessful. The whitebass are chowing on them.
2021 Caymas CX21/Mercury 250 Pro XS
Ill get down there in the next couple days and get some netted and identified. One comment as well,their schooling behavior makes me think they weren’t shad. When they were 1/2” long they were balled up tight like shad. Now at 3-4”..not so much, very loose schools and some not at all. They were also jumping when I ran through them with the tm.Originally Posted by 597fitter
I hope they are shad, because those bait balls are everywhere now. I ate dinner at the Thirsty Turtle last night, I think you could have walked across the bay on top of all the bait balls at the surface.
This < I also noticed that not flicking their tail like a Shad but actually jumping totally out of the water. I also will try to net a few in the next couple of days. I did notice the elite series is not returning next year....
I got some pics of what I netted but I’m not sure they are what I saw the other night can’t figure out how to post pics yet but I can send them to someone to post by txt.
Did anyone figure out what the bait balls are?
FLW is not coming back either, might be a good thing to stay away for a while till our lakes gets on its feet again.
Amen!!
As far as positive publicity versus negative publicity I agree. As far as our fish go, I think all of the club tourneys are just as bad as the “big boy” tourneys. But heck, guys still bass fish in Ohio and it isn’t the greatest. I am sure I will still go fishing even if our lakes are in a downward spiral...
The two dates that have been KY Lake and Lake Cumberland the last two years are now both in Tennessee
I was surprised to see they were not going back to Cumberland. But that would have been 3 in a row so maybe that's the reason.
After the BS with the size limit changes and how many people that pissed off its prob for the best they didn't come back!
"Luminous beings are we not this crude matter." Yoda
Why did it matter about the size limit? If anybody thinks with the way Cumberland is fishing now they have a chance with a limit of 12" fish are silly. Pretty sure the top FLW finishers at Cumberland did not have 12" fish. Be hard to believe 16-18 lb average bags has 12" fish in their bags.
Probably more to do with the sales tax would be my guessThe two dates that have been KY Lake and Lake Cumberland the last two years are now both in Tennessee
Reply With Quote